Indicia bearing writing implement



Jan. 28, 1958 A. T. LIGUORI 2,821,036

INDICIA BEARING WRITING IMPLEMENT:

Filed June 15, 1954 INVENTOR 144 250 7S 0021 BY 1076 W ATTORNEY United States Patent The present invention relates to improvements in writing implements, and it relates more particularly to an improved writing implement bearing replaceable indicia.

Shortly after the advent of the ball point pen, this type of writing implement assumed a generally common shape and configuration so that it was difficult to distinguish one pen from the other even though they were of different manufacturing origin. Inasmuch as the number of pleasing and attractive colors is somewhat limited, this problem of distinguishing one pen from another has led to many lost and innocently misappropriated pens, and it has thus become highly desirable to provide a simple mechanism or device which would permit the application of personal or individual identifying indicia to a pen in order to minimze such losses. The application of monograms or indicia to writing implements by engraving or other methods is conventional, but where such indicia must be different in each case, the application of the indicia is awkward and expensive. Since the manufacture and sale of ball point pens are highly competitive, the conventional methods of applying individual indicia, such as monograms and the like, to pens is highly impracticable by reason of the significant increase in the final cost of the pen. Even where similar indicia, such as advertising matter, is to be applied to a plurality of pens, the conventional methods leave much to be desired.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved writing implement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved writing implement having indicia receiving means.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved writing implement bearing replaceable indicia.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ball point pen having a simple arrangement for receiving and retaining information-carrying material.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ball point pen of the replaceable cartridge type, provided with a simple inexpensive arrangement for receiving and retaining printed tabs or strips, and support the same in a visible and protected manner.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded enlarged perspective View thereof, partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an exploded enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, partially broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof in assembled condition, similar to Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a strip of indicia which may be advantageously employed.

The present invention broadly contemplates the provision of a writing implement comprising a barrel including a body member and a cap member removably engaging said body member, said barrel having an indicia receiving recess formed in its outer face adjacent the junction point of said cap member and said body member, and a transparent window element registering with said recess and locked in said registering position by said cap member and said body member.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cap member and body member are of tubular configuration and are separably screw connected in end-to-end relationship by means of coacting threads formed internally of one of the members and externally of the other. The outer ends of each of the members are suitably tapered and provided with coaxial apertures. A replaceable writing cartridge is slidably located in the pen in the conventional manner and a suitable mechanism is provided for selectively advancing and retracting the tip of the writing cartridge through the front aperture, the mechanism being actuated by a finger piece projecting through the rear aperture in the cap member. The outer face of the inner end of the body member, or, in the alternative, the inner end of the cap member, has a peripheral channel-shaped groove formed therein, open at its inner end. The base of the groove has regularly spaced transverse ribs formed therein which are parallelled to the axis of the barrel. A transparent collar registers with the groove and has an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the base of the groove and together with the ribs define a plurality of indicia receiving pockets in which may be deposited monograms or other indicia formed of paper, plastic, metal or other suitable material. The collar is locked in position by the cap member and body member, and its outer surface is continuous with the outer surfaces of these members. As an alternative, the ribs formed in the base of the groove may be located on the inner surface of the transparent collar.

Reference is now made to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 to 3 thereof, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the numeral 10 generally designates a hollow pen barrel housing, a writing cartridge and an advancing and retracting mechanism, not shown, and including a front tubular body member 12 and a rear tubular cap member 14. The body member 12 is tapered at its forward end and terminates in a front aperture 16 permitting the projection of the cartridge writing tip. The rear end of the body member 12 has formed in its outer face a peripheral groove 18 open at its trailing end and provided with a cylindrical base portion 20 and a forward wall or annular shoulder 22. Furthermore, a plurality of regularly spaced longitudinally extending ribs 24 are located on the groove base 20.

The cap member 14 is provided with a forwardly projecting, externally threaded shank portion 26 which releasably engages a corresponding internal thread formed in the trailing end of the body member 12. Afiixed to the cap member 14 is a clip 28 and projecting through an aperture formed in the trailing end of the cap member 14 is a finger piece 30 for actuating the cartridge advancing mechanism. A transparent collar or sleeve 32 registers with the groove 18 formed in the body member 12 and has an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the adjacent portions of the body member 12 and cap member 14 and an inner diameter substantially equal to that of the peripheral surface of the ribs 24. Thus, the ribs 24, groove base 20, shoulder 22 and the inner face of the co lar 32 define a plurality of indicia receiving pockets or receptacles 34. The collar 32 is securely locked in position by being engaged between the shoulder 22 in the body member 12 and a shoulder 36 formed in the.:.cap member 14=at thetbaseptthe threaded shankthe outer faces ofi the vbodylmember, T12, collar lSZtand cap 11161111161 14.. .forminig 1fi. continuous. surface M re over, theshoulder 3,6, closes .the..op en ends o the pockets 34.v a

,Sjuitable 'indicia bearing tabs 38 may'bejinserted in one ortmore ofltheposiketsfSA. by unscrewing and removing the, cap member 14 andft'hus opening .the ends of the pwokets The tabs BBlmaYhe of any suitable material andjrnay be advantageously providedfin the forms of a cardboard strip 40 having the alphabet representedithereon and beingsuhdividedinto tabs of the required sizeiby scored lines 42 to faejilitatethe separation of the tabs. After the tabs have been inserted; .the cap member 14ais replaced on the body member'IZ as aforesaid;

The embodiment; of thepresent invention illustrated in Figures 4 and of the drawingrdiifersjfromthat heretofore described only ingthe disposition of the longitudinal ribs delineating the indic'ia-retaining pockets. The pen barreliincludes a tubular body member 50, the rear end of'which has formed in its outer faceaperipheral'groove '52 open at its trailing end andprovided with a 'cylindrical base portion 54 and a forward-wall or-annular shoulder 56.. The groovebase-portion54xis ofsmooth circular; c1' 0ss;section; the body member *50- in all other respects simulating the body-memberilof the" earlier described embodiment; =Moreover;-the cap-mernber 56 andthe writing-cartridge and the retracting -mechariism therefor are identical-to-those of the-preferred embodiment. However; thecollar meniberSS, which, in assembled condition, registers with -'the-groove 52', is provided on its'inner facewith a plurality of regularly-spaced longitudinal-ribs 60 which abut the-groove base 52 and define therewith together with the inner {ace of the-collar 58, shoulder 56 and the shoulder 64 at the base of the threaded shank of the cap member '56 a plurality of indicia-retainingpockets 66'. The opening of the pockets 66 and the insertion or removal of the indicia tabs 38 in this embodiment is similar to that described in respect of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3.

While there have been illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that .numerous alterations and. omissions may be made Without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now" described .m ysinyention, what I claim and desire to secure. by Letters, Patent is:.

A writing implement comprising a barrel including a pair of longitudinally boredibarrelr-members, one of said barrel members having an axially extending first shank of reduced cross section and being internally threaded in the proximity of said first shank and the other of said barrel members having an axially extending threaded secondshank of reduced cross section separably engagingsaid' internal thread, said first and second shanks having. peripheral shoulders at the bases thereof which with the 'outerface of said first shank define an-annular groove in said barrel, atransparent collar located insaid annular groove 'and'h-aving an inner face spaced from the 7 surface of'saidfirstshank, circumferentiallyspaced longitudinally 'extendirrgribs located in said groove to separate the space between the confronting faces of said first shank and said collar into indicia receiving pockets and -a separate'indicia-element located in each of said pockets.

References Cited inthefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS '2,3'39,'51j4'- Ponath Jan. 18, 1944 

